12 Best Colors to Pair with Purple, According to Designers

Some colors seem to have endless pairings (think: sky blue, hunter green, and stormy gray), while others may seem to constrain our decorating scheme when using them. Purple can often be one of those colors for design enthusiasts, though many designers have found myriad ways to incorporate the color into their projects. This may need to begin with expanding our knowledge of purple shades as the word often conjures up a classic Crayola crayon color (and possibly an endearing boy named Harold to go with it).

Renvy Graves Pittman says at the far end of the spectrum, you have rich aubergines, which Mario Buatta was famous for using in his work and lavender at the opposing end while mid-range colors like amethyst establish a base point even better than a true, royal purple. Henry Prideaux notes that it is quite a versatile, "sometimes regal" color, which makes purple a great option when designing traditional and contemporary interiors alike.

"When selecting the key colors for a scheme, like many creatives, I am often subconsciously influenced by nature where there are absolutely no rules," says Prideaux. "When used in interior design, however, different colors will enhance the mood within a space and the specific tone used will be the key to determining whether the room feels vibrant or more serene."

Once you've determined the feel you're going for—a lively spot for entertaining or a soothing retreat from it all—that can navigate your decision to finding the right shade of purple. From there, it's all about finding the right color pairings that will make the color sing, whether it's used in the form of accent pillows or lacquered onto the walls. We asked top designers to share their favorite pairings for purple to inspire a purple room of your own.